News

Small BREW Act

WATKINS GLEN (WENY) -- Senator Chuck Schumer is pushing a plan he says will pump millions of dollars back into small breweries every year. It's called the small BREW (Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce) Act of 2013. The bill aims to cut the excise tax in half, so breweries can put that money back into growing their businesses. Local breweries across New York State currently have to pay $7 in taxes per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels they brew per year. To give you some perspective: It cost Rooster fish in Watkins Glen more than $10,000 in excise taxes to brew 1,500 barrels of beer in this year. Senator Schumer's bill would slash those costs in half for small brewer's like Doug Theyer, owner of Rooster Fish Brewing. "I think there is becoming a lot more awareness of the small brewing industry and how important it is and the local economy really benefits from it on just a lot of levels," said Thayer. Senator Schumer thinks this bill would help local breweries like Rooster Fish hire more employees and expand their business. "We have bipartisan support for the bill-- Democrat and Republican and so I think we have a good chance to pass it. My goal is to have this bill enacted by October 1st," said Senator Schumer. With other savings in the bill, Senator Schumer estimates it would save brewers in Chemung and Schuyler counties more than $4 million a year.